


Little Thing Called Love

by Flickaa_T



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-12-14
Packaged: 2018-08-13 07:11:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7967341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flickaa_T/pseuds/Flickaa_T
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth Marcipane, half Italian and halfblood witch, goes to Hogwarts together with Harry, Ron and Hermione, her best friends. What happens when she secretly falls in love with Ron's older brother Fred?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is my second ever published fanfiction and I have to admit that I do like it better than the first one. I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> (Rated 'up-audience' for upcoming smut in later chapters.)

My Name is Elizabeth Marcipane, but everyone just calls me Lzzy. I am half Italian. My father, Antonio Marcipane, was born in Italy, more specifically in Campobasso which is the capital of Molise, the smallest region in Italy. He came to England as an immigrant worker when he was 18 and met my mother, Alexandra Hale, one year later.

My father is a muggle and my mother was a pureblood witch. Yes, she _was_ , because she died when I was six. She died in a car accident which is a very mugglish way to die for a brilliant witch like her. I am the youngest of three children.

My sister Lorella is the only one of the three of us who was born in Italy. My parents travelled to Italy a few weeks before the childbirth. That’s why she is the only one with an Italian name. She is eight years older than me and my brother Arejay is five years older than me.

Arejay and I are very close as siblings. I think to witness the death of your own mother is something that gets you close. The two of us were with her in the car. While Lorella shut herself completely out of the family, Arejay and I tried to seek comfort in each other after her death. I still have nightmares of that night sometimes.

My dad married again seven years after my mother’s death. My stepmother, Nathalie, always tries her best to be the mother we need, even though she knows that she can’t replace our mother. No one can. She is a muggle, too.

While we have a rather large family in Italy with, what it feels like, a hundred aunts, uncles and cousins, we don’t have any family in England. There’s just us. My dad , my stepmother, my sister, my brother and I. We are the Marcipanes.

We are very close with the Weasleys. Molly Weasley and my mother were best friends since their time in Hogwarts. They even got pregnant around the same time with Ron, the youngest son of Molly and Arthur Weasley, and me. We were both born in March in 1980. She is like a second mother to me like the rest of them are like a second family to me.

I even look a bit like I was one of them. Long ginger hair cascades down my back in gentle curls and a bunch of freckles adorn the skin of my nose and cheeks, which is as pale as the rest of my skin. I have big green-brown eyes with long and thick lashes. My right eyebrow is split by a scar which is a leftover from the accident my mother died at. With not quite 5’2 feet I am rather small and petite.

Well, not all of the Weasleys are like family to me anymore. There is the one who is more than a brother or a friend. Fred Weasley is my soulmate, the love of my life. Our story starts in the middle of my fourth year in Hogwarts. That was the year I fell in love with one of my best friends ( _what a cliche_ ).

I was sorted in Gryffindor in the first year and, thanks to Ron, became best friends with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger along with him. Fortunately, he chose the compartment in the Hogwarts Express when we travelled to Hogwarts together for the first time.

So this is the story of Fred Weasley and Elizabeth Marcipane. Enjoy.


	2. Crushes and Secrets

The year had already begun more eventful than any other year at Hogwarts before. Everyone was excited, because of the Triwizard Tournament, the foreign students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang and the Yule Ball, of course. Despite that, I was a little bit dissappointed, because Quidditch was cancelled and I had planned to try out as a chaser for Gryffindor this year.

When Harry was announced to be the fourth champion of the tournament, I believed that he didn’t place his own name in the Goblet Of Fire and, unlike Ron, I supported him from the beginning. The dispute between Ron and Harry left me worrying about our friendship and I was even happier when the two of them reunited, because I was tired of standing between them alongside Hermione.

Harry had mastered the first task with bravura and now, that the Yule Ball was approaching, he and Ron were struggling to find a date for the occasion. I didn’t have a date for myself, but that didn’t really bother me. I had no problem with going alone.

So that one night only a few weeks before the Yule Ball, we sat in the Gryffindor common room doing homework. Well, Hermione and I were doing homework. Harry and Ron were in deep converation with Fred and George Weasley, Rons older twin brothers.  
„Well, you’d better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone.”, said Fred to Ron. Obviously they were talking about getting a date for the Yule Ball.

„Who’re you going with, then?”, asked Ron.  
„Angelina.”, said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.  
„What?”, asked Ron, taken aback. „You’ve already asked her?”  
„Good point.”, said Fred. He turned his head and called across the common room: „Oi! Angelina!” Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him.  
„What?”, she called back.  
„Want to come to the ball with me?” Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look.  
„Alright, then.”, she said and turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.  
„There you go.”, said Fred to Harry and Ron. „Piece of cake.”

I stopped reading in my potions textbook the moment Fred announced that he would go to the Yule Ball with Angelina Johnson, but pretended to continue doing my homework. Suddenly I felt little stitches in my chest and began to feel a little sick. What the hell was that? In the past few weeks I had felt that a few times when I had seen Fred with other girls or when he had called me his little sister, like he often does. At first I had ignored it, but in the meantime it had begun to worry me a little. I couldn’t possibly have a crush on Fred Weasley. He was like my brother and one of my best friends, as well.

„Hermione, you’re a girl.“, said Ron addressing my best friend who was sitting next to me and interrupting my thoughts, causing me to look up.  
„No shit, Sherlock.“, I commented earning a few snickers from Harry and the twins and a brief glare from Ron.  
„Well, it’s one thing for a bloke to show up alone. For a girl, it’s just sad.“, said Ron.  
„I won’t be going alone, because, believe it or not, someone’s asked me.“, snapped Hermione, packing her stuff together.  
„And I said yes!“, she added and stormed off to our dormitory.

„She’s got a fuse like that.“, I commented jokingly showing the lenght of not even an inch between my fingers. The others snickered again and Ron gave me a strange look.  
„Lzzy, do you have a date already?“, asked Ron. Was he really trying to ask me to be his date?  
„No, Ron. No. I am not going to be your last-resort date.“, I said trying to stop him from embarassing himself.  
„And, no I don’t have a date, but I don’t care.“, I added, forcing myself to not look at Fred.

„Will you at least tell us who asked Hermione to the ball?“, asked Harry.  
„No, I won’t. I swore on my honor to not tell anybody and you know that honor is one of the most important virtues for Italians.“  
„C’mon, you’re only half Italian.“, said Ron.  
„I. Won’t. Tell. You.“, I snapped and followed Hermione into the dormitory. As I walked past Fred and George, I catched Georges gaze for a brief moment. I hadn’t seen a look like that on him since I met him when we were kids.

 

 

The next morning I overslept so that everyone was already eating their breakfast when I arrived in the Great Hall. I squeezed myself between Harry and Hermione, who sat across from Fred and George, and started to fill my plate with food when I felt George’s gaze on me.  
„Is this going to be a staring contest, Georgie? Because we both know, I would win.“, I asked looking up at him as I started to shove the food down my throat.

He just chuckled and looked down at his own plate.  
„What is it?“, I asked with more emphasis.  
„We have to talk. In private.“, he said earning a confused look from his twin.  
„Later, okay? I have a lot of assignments to do, because I procrastinated until the last possible day again.“, I said not even thinking about what he could want to discuss in private.  
„Maybe you should stop procrastinating and start working on your grades, Little One.“, said Fred. That was his nickname for me since we were kids. In consideration of my tiny figure, it fitted quite well.

„Not in my almost 15 years on this planet have I ever heard something like that from you, Fred Weasley. Never have I ever thought I would hear a sentence like that, in a situation like this, from a person like you.“, I gasped sarcastically.  
„A person like me? What does that even mean?“, said Fred, smirking.  
„Absolutely nothing.“, I said mysteriously, winked at him and got up.  
„ _Arrivederci_!“, I called over my shoulder and followed Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the Great Hall and into the dungeons for our potions class this morning. I was pleased about the fact that I still could talk to Fred like nothing was wrong despite my little crush on him.

 

 

In the evening, when I sat in the Gryffindor common room doing my procrastinated assignments, I felt that someone was watching me and I instantly knew that it was George’s gaze I felt on me again.  
„Now is later.“, he said as he approached me, his lips pressed into a thin line.  
„Why so serious, Georgie?“, I teased him.  
„Stop it, Lzzy. We really need to talk.“  
I have never ever seen him that serious, I thought as I sighed.

„Georgie, I really have to finish these assignments and I have to finish them now if I don’t want to work through the whole night. _Domani_ ; tomorrow, okay?“  
„You promise?“, he asked now sighing himself.  
„Pinky-promise?“, I grinned and his lips twitched into a smile.  
We locked pinkies to seal the deal and George visibly relaxed from his tension.

„Do you need any help with that?“, he asked after watching me doing my potions assignment for a few minutes.  
„What? From you?“, I asked, suppressing a laugh.  
„I don’t know if you noticed, but I, in fact, are brilliant.“, he said, smirking.  
„Hi Brilliant, I’m Lzzy.“, I said, bursting out in laughter.

„Shut up. I am brilliant or how did you think Fred and I were able to create our novelties. I am the brains behind that.“, he said, cocking his eyebrow.  
„I’m pretty sure Fred told me exactly the opposite.“, I joked and George huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, pretending to be offended.  
„Oh, Georgie, don’t pout.“, I said, giving him my best puppy-eyes.  
„Now, do you need help with your potions assignment or not?“, he asked, sighing playfully exaggerated.  
„I actually just finished it, but you can help me with my transfiguration assignment, if you want.“, I said shrugging.

After two more hours of me doing my homework and George helping me and making funny comments here and there, I finally finished all assignments that were due the next few days.  
„I am free!“, I exclaimed as I scribbled the last note down.  
„I really should stop procrastinating, I’m gettinng headaches from those homework-marathons.“, I muttered, scolding myself.

„And now our Little One has time for some fun with her extremely good-looking and highly intelligent best friends?“, asked Fred as he approached us in the common room.  
„I have no clue who you are talking about.“, I shot back, smirking from ear to ear.  
„Oi, Lzzy, that hurt.“, said Fred, mirroring my grin.  
„I’m sorry I have to disappoint you, Freddie, but your Little One is going to head into her dormitory and sleep the night away, because she is pretty much exhausted and if you don’t want to be seen with a zombie-like creature tomorrow, you should let her rest.“, I explained.  
„But what about all the fun you are going to miss?“, asked Fred, giving me the puppy-eyes.  
„Freddie, you know that puppy-look does not work on me. I invented that.“, I said, standing up and packing my stuff together.  
„ _Buonanotte_ ; good night.“, I said, giving each of my favourite pair of twins a peck on the cheek and heading into my dormitory.

 

 

The next day I felt really good, according to the circumstances. At lunch George slipped me a piece of parchment on which he had scribbled the time and place for our private talk.

_Docks, right before dinner. Be on time. -G._

I couldn’t hold back a goofy grin as I read the note. Everyone knew that I had practically no sense of time. The phrase ‘on time’ didn’t even exist in my vocabulary.

George was already there when I arrived at the docks that evening.  
„Why here?“, I asked, shivering. The temperatures outside were freezing since it was shortly before Christmas.  
„’Cause we can talk here without being disturbed or overheard.“, said George.  
„So, what is this about?“  
„I know that you have a crush on my brother.“

„Which one?“, I asked elusively.  
„C’mon Lzzy, you know I am talking about Fred. I saw the look on your face when he asked Angelina to be his date at the ball.“  
„I thought I suppressed it better.“, I said bitterly, avoiding his gaze.  
„Will you tell him?“, I asked, looking up into his eyes.  
„I won’t.“

„Then why did you want to talk? Do you want to make fun of me?“  
„Lzzy, please, you are my best friend. I would never make fun of you in a hurting way.“, he exclaimed, interrupting my rant.  
„I’m sorry. It’s just...I don’t know what to do. I still have my hopes up that it’s just a childish crush and that it will vanish eventually, but what if it isn’t? What if it developes into something deeper? I am frightened, Georgie. He is one of the most important people in my life and I am scared of losing him.“, I said, feeling salty tears making their way down my cheeks.  
„It’s okay, I’m here for you. I’ll help you through that, okay? Please, don’t cry. You know Fred loves you like his sister, he could not stand losing you, too.“, said George, wrapping his arms around me and running his hands up and down my back in order to soothe me while I sobbed into his chest.

„Georgie, he may not know about that stupid crush ever, okay? You have to promise me. This is a secret between the two of us and no one else will ever hear about that, okay?“, I demanded as I had calmed down a bit.  
„I promise.“, said George, still pressing my body against his.  
„It will be hard enough to see him with Angelina at the ball. It’s not that no one asked me to be their date, I just refused everytime, because I didn’t want a date, but under this circumstances things are different. I should have accepted to be somebody’s date. It would’ve distracted me.“, I said, smiling bitterly.

„We could go to the ball together.“, suggested George.  
„What?“, I asked, taking a step back and shooting him an incredulous look.  
„We could go to the ball together, as friends.“, he repeated.  
„I don’t have a date. No interest in one particular girl at the moment. I would be pleased to spend that night with my incredibly beautiful best friend. Good decoration, you know?“, he added, smiling down at me.  
„You’re such a dork!“, I laughed, hitting him playfully.

„Okay, George. I will go to the ball with you. But only if you ask me properly.“, I exclaimed, smirking.  
„I will. C’mon, let’s go to dinner.“, he said, mirroring my smirk.

 

 

At dinner I noticed that I felt kind of relieved. To talk about my problem and not burrying myself in it was really helpful.  
„Would you mind turning around in your seat?“, whispered George, who sat beside me.  
„Why?“, I whispered back.  
„Just do it.“, he said, giving me a stern look.  
I did as I was told and he stood up from his seat, only to kneel back down in front of me.  
„What are you doing?“, I hissed, eyes widening in shock.  
„Asking you properly.“, he said, only for me to hear.

The other students at the Gryffindor table around us had gone quiet and were watching with high interest.  
„Why are you doing this to me?“, I asked, still in shock, but with a slight smile tugging at my lips.  
„You wanted to be asked properly, that’s how you get to be asked properly, Little One.“, he grinned, still whsipering.  
He cleared his throat and asked for everyone around us to hear: „Elizabeth Marcipane, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?“

I briefly glanced around and saw some of the other students staring at us in disbelief and waiting for my answer. Fred shot his brother an incredulous and very confused look.  
„Uhm...“, I stuttered. In the meantime my face had went crimson with embarrassment.  
„Louder.“, mouthed George.  
„Uhm...Yes, I think?“, I finally managed to stammer out, only wanting to hide from the gazes of the other students.  
„Alright, then.“, said George, smirking and stood up, only to sit down on his seat again and continue to eat his dinner as if nothing happened.

„What was that?“, asked Fred, glancing between his twin and me with a still very incredulous expression on his face, but there was something different in his eyes. A tiny glint of something I couldn’t interpret.  
„She wanted to be asked properly, so I asked her properly.“, said George, as if that was one of the most normal things in the world.  
„So you two are...kind of...a thing?“, asked Fred, slightly stuttering.  
„ _Maria_ , no!“, I exclaimed, trying and failing to hold back a laugh.  
„Goin’ as friends.“, said George, mouth full of food.

„Alright.“, said Fred, visibly exhaling a breath he had held in.  
As I looked up, I saw Harry, Hermione and Ron sitting across from me, the latter giving me a more than confused look and the others grinning from ear to ear.  
„Don’t you two dare interpreting something in there that is never going to happen.“, I hissed at them.  
Some of the other Gryffindors around us were still staring and I just wanted to be invisible. I think that’s what you get when you try to mess with a prankster. Especially when their last name is Weasley.


	3. The Yule Ball

The following few weeks went by faster than I would’ve liked, but a few days before the Yule Ball I had started to look forward to the occasion. Hermione, Parvati (who went with Harry) and I were getting ready together. The girls had insisted on straightening my hair which, after that, fell down my back in a half updo and went down to my hip. I was wearing a black and white cocktaildress that went down to right above my knees and black high heels with red soles.

While the other girls still needed their time, I went down to the Great Hall when I was ready, because I didn’t want George to wait for too long. I spotted my two favourite twins waiting in the foyer of the Great Hall, George waiting for me and Fred waiting for Angelina. As George spotted me walking towards them his face visibly lightened up and he poked his brother in the ribs with his elbow.

„Now don’t you look beautiful tonight? Freddie, what do you think, doesn’t she look beautiful?“, said George with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Fred just stared down at me in complete silence and gulped perceptibly.  
„Is everything alright, Freddie?“, I asked innocently, what seemed to let him snap out of his trance.  
„Yes..it’s just...nothing.“, he stammered as Angelina approached us. She was wearing a long, dark-purple dress which matched perfectly to her skin tone.

„ _Maria_ , Angelina. You look so beautiful.“, I gasped, smirking from ear to ear.  
„Thanks, Lzzy. You too.“, said Angelina and smiled thankfully.  
„Let’s go in. The champions will inaugurate the ball soon.“, said George and offered his arm for me in a silent request to hook in.

The Great Hall, which was used as ballroom, was decorated wonderfully and looked a bit like an ice palace. Most of the students and teachers were already in the ballroom, waiting for the champions to start the first dance.  
„Georgie, I have to warn you. I am not a very talented dancer, well, in fact, I have two left feet, which means I may step on yours not only once this evening.“, I said, smirking.  
„That’s okay, you’re not really heavy, Little One.“, said George in a teasing tone, mirroring my smirk.

„Guys, look! Is that Hermione Granger with Viktor Krum?“, said Angelina, gasping, as the music started and the champions began their first dance.  
„Yes, it is.“, I said with a knowing smile. The champion of Durmstrang had asked her to be his date several weeks ago and I was the only one she had told about that.  
„You knew that! Why didn’t you tell us?“, asked Fred.  
„’Cause I swore on my honor.“, I said, still smiling.  
„Damn, those Italians and their honor!“, exclaimed Fred teasingly which caused the four of us to laugh.

„I think Harry’s dancing skills are even worse than mine.“, I said, only for George to hear which earned me a snicker from him. Soon the teachers started to dance along the champions which meant the ball was officially opened. George grabbed my waist and started to lead me across the dance floor. He was a really good dancer and the waltz wasn’t too difficult, so that I managed to not step on his feet or trip over my own.

After some time of dancing, we settled down at a table alongside Fred and Angelina.  
„I’m getting something to drink for everybody. Angelina, can you come and help me, please?“, said George and dragged Angelina with him. Fred and I sat at the table across from each other in awkward silence for a few moments.  
„Lzzy, I’m sorry for how I reacted earlier, it’s just you, indeed, look very beautiful tonight and I was a little stunned by that.“, said Fred, breaking the silence.  
„Thank you, that is very nice of you.“, I said, not being able to stop the blush creeping up my neck.

„You know, nice doesn’t mean nice. The scale goes: I love you, I like you, I tolerate you, I hate you, You’re nice.“, teased Fred, smirking.  
„Well then, Weasley, you know where your position is. Kneel!“, I shot back, mirroring his smirk. Fred promptly stood up from his seat and knelt down in front of me, bowing his head in an exaggerated way.  
„What are you doing? Stop it, you’re embarrassing yourself.“, I hissed while trying not to burst out in laughter.

„Milady, anything for you.“, said Fred in a very theatralic way and I couldn’t longer hold back my laughter.  
„Now, Little One, may I have this dance?“, he asked, standing up and offering his hand to me.  
„What about Angelina?“, I asked hesitantly. He sighed.  
„Lzzy, you’re my best friend and nothing can change that. Even if Angelina and I end up as a couple, you will always be my secret number one.“, he said, winking.

„You promise?“, I asked, looking him straight in the eye.  
„Pinky-promise.“, said Fred, smirking again and holding his pinky out for me to seal the deal.  
„Alright, then.“, I said and shook his pinky with mine right as Angelina and George came back with loads of pumpkin juice and candy.

„Brother, may I borrow our best friend for a dance?“, asked Fred after some time of chatting and eating the candy.  
„That, my precious twin, is something you should ask her.“, said George.  
„May I have this dance?“, asked Fred, standing up and holding his hand out to me again.  
„You just don’t give up, do you?“, I smirked, only for him to hear as he led me onto the dancefloor.  
„Never.“, he smirked back.

Just as we approached the dancefloor, a slow song started playing. Fred wrapped his arms around my waist and started swaying slowly to the rhythm of the music, my body pressed flush against his. After a short time of slow dancing, I felt the tension in my body vanish and started to relax against his chest. How could something so wrong feel so right? Maybe it wasn’t wrong. Maybe there was a future for us not just as friends. But then, I realized, I forgot something, more specifically somebody. Angelina.

He doesn’t love you and he never will, so don’t waste your time on thoughts like that, I thought to myself. Suddenly I felt uneasy to be so close to Fred and I was barely able to hold back the tears. I had to get out of there. If I started to cry in front of him, he would find out the truth and I would possibly lose him.

„Sorry, Freddie, I’m really tired and my feet are hurting. Can we just go back to the others so I can ask George to take me back to the Gryffindor tower?“, I asked quietly, carefully watching his face for his reaction. For a brief moment I thought to see something like disappointment in his eyes, but it vanished away as quickly as it came.  
„Thanks for the dance, Milady.“, he said, theatrically bowing and kissing my knuckles which send shivers down my spine.  
„C’mon, Dramaqueen.“, I said, laughing and pulling him back to the others.

„Georgie, would you be mad if I wanted to go back to the Gryffindor tower? I am really tired and my feet are hurting.“, I said with a significant look at George. His expression told me that he understood.  
„I wouldn’t be mad. Actually I’m really tired myself.“, he said quickly and stood up.  
We said our goodbyes to the others and headed back to the Gryffindor tower.

„Georgie, I really have to thank you. For the evening and for everything else. I really had a lot of fun, but slow-dancing with Fred was just to much. I’m sorry your night has to end that early just because of me.“, I said when we arrived in the Gryffindor common room.  
„Don’t worry, Little One. I told you I am here for you and I can understand your struggle. And it’s not that early, I think we’re not the first ones going to bed tonight.“, he said, a reassuring smile plastered on his face.

„Good night, Lzzy.“, said George as he wrapped me up in a bear-hug and planted a kiss on my temple.  
„ _Buonanotte_ , Georgie.“, I said, returning the hug.


	4. More Than That

The weeks after the Yule Ball seemed to pass by very fast which I could only be thankful for, because Fred and Angelina ended up as a couple after the ball. I looked forward to the summer holidays so that I wouldn’t have to deal with that stupid crush for a while. I thought that maybe it would vanish, if I didn’t have to see Fred everyday for a few months.

Harry had mastered the second task of the Triwizard Tournament as good as the first one and even ‘saved’ the little sister of Fleur Delacour, the champion of Beauxbatons. I was very proud of him, but I started to worry, too, because the tasks really were dangerous and frightening and I knew that the last task wouldn’t be less dangerous than the others, rather more dangerous.

„What do you think will be the last task?“, I asked Harry as we sat in the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Hermione. It was only a few weeks left until the last task was due.  
„I have absolutely no idea.“, said Harry, shrugging.  
„I mean the tasks weren’t harmless so far and for the final task they won’t make it easier for any of you. What worries me is that you don’t even get a hint of what could be the last task. How are you supposed to prepare for not dying?“, I asked jonkingly, but Harry knew that I was really worried about him.

„Don’t worry, Lzzy. I try my best not to die.“, he said, smirking.  
„You better will, because if you die, I will kill you.“, I said, patting him on the shoulder and mirroring his smirk.  
„If I were you, I would take her by the tongue.“, interfered Hermione, who had listened in silence until now.  
„Yes, we all know Lzzy long enough to do so and I know her even longer than you two. Believe me Harry, she will kill you.“, said Ron jonkingly.  
„Okay, guys, since when am I the poor victim of your teasing?“, I asked sarcastically which caused the four of us to burst out in laughter.

Suddenly Fred and George burst into the common room, presumably laughing about a prank they played on Filch again.  
„What did you two do to poor Filch this time?“, I asked jokingly.  
„Poor Filch?“, reapeated Fred, crooking his eyebrow and grinning from ear to ear.  
„Oi, Seems like someone has switched sides, what do you think, Freddie?“, said George, mirroring Fred’s smirk.  
„I think, Georgie, we should teach this Little One here a lesson.“, said Fred, giving his twin a meaningful look.

Suddenly George grabbed me and lifted me up while Fred started to tickle me. Considering that I counted as one of the most ticklish persons on earth, that was pure torture for me. I laughed and screamed and tried to wriggle out of George’s grip, certainly unsuccessful.  
„I surrender!...I surrender!...Please...let me...breathe!“, I managed to scream between laughs.

„Fred and George Weasley, let go of that poor girl this instant.“, said Angelina, who arrived at the common room only seconds before.  
„And if not?“, asked Fred mischievously.  
„I have my ways to punish you, Fred Weasley.“, said Angelina which caused Fred to let go instantly and gave me a stitch in my chest.  
„If my woman demands, I will not torture my best friend.“, said Fred grinning as he grabbed Angelina’s waist and pulled her flush against his body.

„For now.“, he added before crushing his lips to hers. Again, this was too much for me. I felt tears burning behind my eyes. I had to get out of there, before I would break down in the middle of the common room.  
„Get a room.“, I hissed, less jokingly than intended, as I walked past the couple and headed out of the common room.  
„Jealous, Little One?“, called Fred after me.  
„You wish.“, I shot back, turning around and walking backwards to the hole behind the portrait of the Fat Lady. For a brief moment, I catched George’s eyes who shot me a stern look.  
„Just leave it.“, I mouthed and left the common room.

I managed to hold the tears back until I found an empty corridor. I didn’t need anybody to question why I was crying and possibly spreading rumors. I sat on the stairs of the astronomy tower and leaned against the wall. The tears I had held back started rushing down my cheeks as I buried my face in my hands and started to sob quietly.

After a short time, I sensed movement next to me. Somebody sat down beside me and wrapped their arms around my body and started to run their hands up and down my back.  
„Shh..it’s okay. Everything will be alright.“, said George soothingly. I leaned against his chest and clutched at his shirt tightly while crying and sobbing like a child.

After was seemed like ages being wrapped up in George’s embrace, I felt myself relaxing and slowly calming down.  
„He would never admit it if you’d ask him. When I was maybe five or six and we were playing at The Burrow, he said to me ‘Someday, I will marry you’. It’s so pathetic.“, I said quietly, a bitter smile tugging at my lips.  
„I don’t think it’s pathetic. I think it’s rather cute. It shows how much you mean to him, even if in a different way.“, said George.  
„Don’t tell him that I told you that. He would kill me...if he still remembers.“

„I won’t. Why should I? I didn’t tell him about your crush, too, did I?“  
„Yeah, I think that’s the problem. I lied to myself. I talked myself into believing it was just a childish crush, but the truth is, it is more than that. I think I fell in love with my best friend. Despite the fact that I won’t ever have a chance with him. It’s so cliched.“, I admitted, looking up into George’s eyes while mine filled with tears again.

„Please don’t cry, Lzzy. I hate to see you like that.“, pleaded George, wiping the tears from my cheeks.  
„You know, I am truly desperate. I have no idea what to do. I don’t want to love him. I even hate that I love him.“  
„Lzzy, I promise I am here for you and I always will be. We’ll find a way to solve that problem. Together.“  
„Thank you for everything, for just being you. I have the strange feeling, you’re the only one I can talk to about this. I’m saying this way too seldom, but I love you, Georgie.“, I said, smiling slightly.

„Well, thank you Lzzy. You can take me by the tongue, I will not leave you alone, because it happens that I, indeed, love you, too, Little One.“, said George, mirroring my smile.  
„Now give us a kiss.“, I joked and smirked from ear to ear.  
„Stop it.“, he said before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead and laughing infectious.


	5. Summer

The rest of the school year passed by very fast. Harry won the Triwizard Tournament, but Cedric Diggory died, which was very shocking and sad. Professor Moody turned out to be Barty Crouch Jr. who captivated the real Mad-Eye Moody and drank lots of polyjuice potion to look like him and deceive everyone. He was the one who put Harrys name in the Goblet of Fire and hexed the goblet of the tournament into a portkey, too. Harry declared that Voldemort was back and he had fought with him, but most of the people didn’t believe him. I did.

I was glad to be back home with my family. At home I could finally relax and distract myself from the stirring school year and the dramatic end of it.  
Normally, I would spend a lot of time with the Weasleys at the Burrow, but this year I decided to spend as much time as possible with my family and few muggle friends in our small town and stay in touch with the Weasleys by letters. I figured I would see them soon enough when my brother Arejay and I had to move to London for the last few weeks of the holiday, because of a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix in which my brother was a member since he graduated from Hogwarts two years ago. Our mother was a member, too, before she died.

Arejay and I arrived at Grimmauld Place even before the Weasleys so that Hermione and I were alone for a few hours.  
„How was your summer?“, asked Hermione as we laid spread across one of the beds upstairs.  
„Relaxing and distracting.“, I said truthfully.  
„Same here.“, said Hermione. Then we heard several voices from downstairs.  
„Must be the Weasleys.“, I said as I stood up to go downstairs. We walked out of the room and made our way down the stairs where Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, Arthur and Molly Weasley stood in the hallway.

„Ginny, you will sleep in a room with Hermione and Lzzy. Ron will share a room with Fred and George until Harry arrives in a few days. Now go and bring your luggage upstairs.“, commanded Molly in order to organize her family.  
„Hello, fellow redheads!“, I called, successfully bringing their attention on myself.  
„Lzzy, Hermione, darlings. How wonderful to see you well and refreshed. How was your summer?“, asked Molly as she wrapped each of us up in a motherly hug.  
„Wonderful.“, said Hermione.  
„Relaxing and distracting.“, I gave the same answer as to Hermione before.  
Molly and Arthur headed into the room where the meeting of the order would be while Hermione and I said our hellos to their children.

„Hi Gred, hi Forge.“, I said laughing as the twins wrapped me up in a Fred-and-George-sandwich.  
„You cut your hair.“, remarked Fred. Before the summer my hair had reached to right above my bottom and was not as curly as it was now, only reaching to the middle of my back.  
„You too.“, I stated. I liked the short hair on them.  
„And are that curves I can feel there?“, asked George, who had his hands on my waist, jokingly. Puberty had done a few things right with my body over the summer. I was still petite, but my waistline had improved in it’s curviness and my breasts were a tad bigger than before the summer, too.

„Would you guys mind moving your little threesome upstairs?“, said Ginny which caused all six of us to laugh and Fred and George to let go of me so that I could hug Ron and Ginny, too.  
„Do you know when Harry will arrive?“, asked Ron.  
„Sorry, they didn’t tell us. All we know is he will be escorted here by Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt and a few other members of the order in one of the following days.“, said Hermione.

„Doesn’t sound like Ronnikins wants to share a room with us, does it, Georgie?“, asked Fred with a mischievous glint in his eyes.  
„Don’t think so, Freddie. I think we should teach him some respect for his older brothers.“, said George, mirroring Fred’s mischievous smirk.  
And with that the twins grabbed their younger brother, who unsuccessfully tried to wriggle out of their grasp, and carried him upstairs.  
„Poor Ron. I hope they’re not too harsh to him.“, said Ginny as the three of us girls slowly calmed down from our laughter and we followed the boys upstairs.

 

The next few days we spent with cleaning up and tidying up the old and dilapidated house. At some points I had had the strange feeling of eyes on me and when I looked up, I thought I saw Fred looking away quickly. Especially when he helped me hanging the freshly washed curtains back in their place, I was sure he was admiring my bum while holding the ladder for me, but I brushed it off as natural behaviour for a 17-year-old boy.

Since Fred and George were of age and officially allowed to use magic since April, they were practically always running around with their wands in their hands. Unfortunately, I happened to be their favourite victim to play harmless pranks on this summer which caused me to spend a lot of time with my favourite pair of twins, not that I minded. It didn’t took long for me to notice that my feelings for Fred hadn’t, as I had thought first, vanished at all. So I basically spent the rest of the summer secretly glancing at him and sometimes catching him looking at me, which caused me to look away quickly and blush.

 

„Harry!“, yelped Hermione, hugging him tightly and catching him off guard as he walked into the room.  
„Are you alright?“, I asked, hugging him not as passionate as Hermione. He just nodded.  
„We’ve heard them talking about this dementor-attack. You must tell us everything!“, said Hermione.  
„Let the man breathe, Hermione.“, said Ron.  
„And this hearing at the ministry. It’s just outrageous! I’ve looked it up, they simply can’t expel you. It’s completely unfair!“, ranted Hermione.  
„Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around, Hermione. So what is this place?“, asked Harry who just arrived a few minutes ago.

„Headquarters.“, said Ron.  
„Of the Order of the Phoenix.“, I added.  
„It’s a secret society. Dumbledore formed it back when they first fought You-Know-Who.“, said Hermione.  
„You couldn’t have put any of this in a letter, I suppose? I’ve gone all summer without a scrap of news.“, said Harry, seeming disappointed.  
„We wanted to tell you, mate. Really, we did. Only...“, said Ron, getting quieter at the end.  
„Only what?“, snapped Harry.

„Only Dumbledore made us swear that we wouldn’t tell you anything.“, I said quietly, avoiding his gaze.  
„Dumbledore said that? But why would he want to keep me in the dark, maybe I could help? After all I am the one who saw Voldemort return, I’m the one who fought him, I’m the one who saw Cedric Diggory get killed....!“, ranted Harry, his voice raising with every phrase, when suddenly two pairs of hands grapped him from behind and startled him.

„Harry.“, said Fred who had just apparated behind Harry alongside George.  
„We thought we heard your dulcet tones.“, said George, beaming at Harry.  
„You don't want to bottle up your anger like that, mate, let it all out.“, said Fred, also beaming.  
„There might be a couple of people fifty miles away who didn't hear you.“, he added.  
„Anyway, if you’re done shouting..“, said George.  
„...join in something a little more interesting.“, said Fred, completing George’s sentence.

And with that the twins led us to the railing of the stairs where they extended one of their invented Extendable Ears so we could eavesdrop at the meeting of the order.  
„Snape’s part of the order.“, said Harry incredulously, after we heard several members talking muddled up.  
„Get it.“, said Ron.

Suddenly, Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks, catched the extended part of the ear and started to pull at it.  
„Crookshanks, stop it!“, hissed Hermione unsuccessfully, because Crookshanks teared off the ear and ran away with it.  
„Bad Crookshanks!“, Hermione shouted after him.

 

„We’ll be eating down in the kitchen.“, announced Molly as we, the ones who weren’t of age, headed down the stairs later, after the meeting of the order, followed by a scream as Fred and George startled her by apparating right behind her.  
„Just because you are allowed to use magic now, does not mean you have to whip your wands out for everything!“, she scolded them and hit George lightly on the arm.  
„Hi Mum.“, said Ginny quietly as she, Ron and I went past Molly, following the twins down the stairs into the kitchen.

„Is everything alright with you?“, I asked Fred, who was sitting next to me and glared at Crookshanks, during dinner.  
„Yeah, it’s just that I am really not a big fan of cats.“, he said sarcastically, snapping out of his presumably internal dialogue with Crookshanks.  
„Understandable.“, I said, smirking.  
„How’s Angelina?“, I asked. Not that it really interested me, I was just being polite and wanted to distract him from the cat.

„We broke up at the beginning of the summer.“, he said, finally looking down at me. I felt my heart skipping a beat.  
„Oh, what a pity. Why?“, I asked, successfully holding back a smile.  
„Felt not right anymore.“, he said, shrugging. He really didn’t seem like he even cared about the whole thing.  
„That’s sad. I liked you two together and I liked her. Very nice and beautiful girl.“, I lied.

„Not as beautiful as you.“, he muttered.  
„What?“, I asked, eyes widening in shock.  
„You were always beautiful, Little One, but you changed over the summer and I have to admit that I kind of like the changes.“, he said with a huge smirk on his face, gazing along the curves of my body and letting his gaze briefly linger on my bosom. I felt the blush uncomfortably creeping up my neck.

„Fred Weasley, you pervert!“, I exclaimed, laughing and hitting him playfully on the arm.  
„Just teasing. You’re my best friend and you’ll alwys be, you know that, right?“, said Fred, lifting his hands in defeat, but still smirking.  
„I know.“, I sighed, plastering a smirk on my face that didn’t reach my eyes.


	6. A Shocking Truth

The school year had begun as usual. The events of the last year were not forgotten, but kind of digested. Harry had a rough time at first, because no one believed him that Voldemort was back. He was called ‘The Boy Who Lies’ not only by the other students, but also by the daily prophet. He didn’t show that the insults affected him, but we knew they did. Ron, Hermione and I always stood up for him.

We had a new professor for defence against the dark arts, Dolores Jane Umbridge. Like almost every other student, I didn’t like her the second I saw her for the first time. She looked like a toad and was always wearing pink. Furthermore, she was nasty and rude. No one you would like to spent your time with. Her classes were a waste of time. We were always reading and didn’t even practice our defence for one second.

I made it into the Gryffindor Quiddtich-team as a chaser this year. With that I replaced Alicia Spinnet, who wanted to focus more on her grades. I loved Quidditch and had a lot of fun during the training sessions with Harry and Fred and George. My only problem was Angelina Johnsson, Fred’s ex-girlfriend. After a few training sessions she had started ignoring me, as if there were only two chasers on the pitch, which affected the whole team in a negative way.

„Angelina, wait!“, I called for her as I followed her out of the girls changing room after the fifth training session in which I was completely rejected by her.  
„What?“, she snapped, turning around and glaring at me.  
„We need to talk.“, I said.  
„I don’t think so.“, said Angelina, turning around and walking away.

„Angelina, please.“, I said, trying to hold her back at her shoulder. She shrugged my hand away and started to walk away again.  
„What is your bloody problem with me?!“, I called after her, now getting angry myself. She stopped and turned around to face me.  
„I have no problem with you hating me, even if I have no clue what I have done to you. Ignore me, insult me, hate me, if that makes you feel better, but think about the team. Your behavior during training affects them all and will probably cost Gryffindor the win. Is that what you want?“, I burst out, now that she listened.

„The problem is not that I hate you, beacuse I don’t. I really tried to pretend as if everything was alright, but it simply isn’t and I can’t do that anymore.“, said Angelina calmly.  
„Angelina.“, said Fred, who just walked out of the boys changing room with George, in a warning tone.  
„No, Fred. She should know why you broke up with me.“, she snapped at him, before turning her gaze back at me.  
„He broke up with me, because of you.“, she said and walked away quickly.

My heart skipped a beat, I was taken completely off guard by that.  
„Is that true, Fred Weasley?“, I hissed, looking at him with wide eyes. He nodded, avoiding my gaze and staring a hole into the floor.  
„What?! Why?!“, I shouted, completely panicking.  
„I didn’t want you to find out that way.“, he muttered, still admiring the marble at his feet.  
„You know what, I don’t want to hear any of this! You will fix that!“, I scolded him in a very mollyish manner and stormed off, feeling tears making their way down my cheeks. 

How could this be? Had George broken his promise and told Fred about my feelings? I assumed he had broken up with Angelina, because he didn’t want to hurt me. I started to hate myself for destroying his relationship and probably even his future. George could brace himself for my anger for telling Fred about my secret.

 

FRED POV

George and I just stood there for a few moments, watching Lzzy’s disappering form.  
„Why didn’t you tell me the truth?“, said George, looking at me disapprovingly.  
„What do you mean?“, I asked innocently.  
„You know exactly what I mean. You told me you broke up with Angelina, because ‘it didn’t feel right anymore’ and some other bullshit.“, he said, frowning and not letting go of the disapprovement in his expression.

„I thought so, but over the last few months I noticed that there was a reason for that and the reason is Lzzy.“, I said.  
„I don’t know how to explain it. When I wake up in the morning, I think of her. When I lie in bed at night, I think of her. I basically think of her all the time. My skin tingles when I touch her. When I look in those eyes, I see the whole meaning of life. Last month when we brew Amortentia in potions class, for me it smelled like her. I think I love her, Georgie. I always have, I was just too blind to see it.“, I tried to explain.

Throughout my explanation the disapprovement on George’s face had vanished completely and now he was smirking from ear to ear, a mischievous glint in his eyes which I couldn’t explain.  
„I would say, go for it. Tell her.“, he said.  
„I can’t. What if she rejects me? I mean, thanks to Angelina, she knows already and she seemed very angry, don’t you think?“, I asked with a panicked expression.

„You’ll never know, if you don’t risk it.“, said George, shrugging.  
„I know.“, I said, sighing and letting my shoulders slump slightly.  
„Okay, Freddie, I’ll talk to her, but I won’t act as your owl. I’ll just try to soothe her and persuade her to talk to you. Now c’mon, you lovestruck git, we have pranks to plan and stuff.“, said George, winking and dragging me with him.

 

LZZY POV

„Can we talk?“, asked George later as he approached me in the Gryffindor common room.  
„Talk about what? About you taking advantage of my trust and presumably making fun of me behind my back with your twin brother since last year? Or about you breaking our pinky-promise? Or about...“, I started another rant, but was interrupted by a growling George grabbing my wrist and dragging me with him, out of the common room.

„What do you want?!“, I snapped, crossing my arms across my chest as he turned around to face me in an empty corridor.  
„I didn’t tell him anything!“, he growled.  
„Why should I believe you?!“  
„I don’t know, maybe because you are my best friend and I would rather kill myself than betray you?“, he asked sarcastically, but with a sincerity in his eyes that made me believe him.

„I’m sorry, Georgie.“, I said, sighing.  
„It’s just, you’re the only one who knows about my feelings for Fred. How could he have found out if you didn’t tell him?“  
„Why should he have found out?“, asked George with a clearly confused expression on his face.  
„Isn’t that why he broke up with Angelina? Because he found out and didn’t want to hurt me?“, I asked, now confused, too.  
„Oh boy, no, that’s not it at all.“, exclaimed George, obviously trying to hold back a laugh.  
„Follow me, you two obviously have to talk.“, he commanded, before dragging me back to the Gryffindor common room again.

Fred sat on one of the sofas facing the fireplace, seeming kind of downcast. It was weird seeing him like that, he always was the one who tried his best to bring back the laugh on the faces of others.  
„What is wrong with him?“, I whispered.  
„Go. Talk to him.“, whispered George, pushing me gently in Fred’s direction.

„Freddie?“, I said softly as I approached him.  
„Can...can we talk?“, I asked, as he looked up.  
„Seems like we have to, don’t you think?“, he asked, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.  
„Sit down.“, he said, patting the place on the sofa next to him.

„I’m sorry, Freddie. For destroying your relationship.“, I said as I did as commanded, avoiding his gaze.  
„What are you talking about?“, he asked, frowning in confusion.  
„Wasn’t that why you broke up with Angelina? Didn’t you find out about stupid me falling in love with you, like the biggest cliche of all time? Was the reason you broke up with her not that you didn’t want to hurt me, because I am your best friend? I really hate myself for that, you know. And I am scared. Scared that love, that little fucker, may destroy our friendship in the end.“, I finally told him the truth. His smile seemed to get bigger with every phrase I spoke.

„What is so funny?“, I asked, now frowning myself.  
„I think you misunderstood something, Little One. The reason for our breakup is, as she said, you. Because I fell in love with you.“, confessed Fred finally, smiling smugly. I felt my heart skipping a beat again as I stared at him with widening eyes.  
„What? When?“, I asked, slightly panicking.

„I don’t know. Probably even before I started dating Angelina. I was just too blind to notice, but when I didn’t see you in summer for the longest time in years, I started thinking about you a lot. It kind of hit me when I saw you again at Grimmauld Place.“, he explained, still smiling. I hadn’t expected any of this. As I started to understand what had just happened, I was on cloud seven. Fred Weasley felt the same way for me as I felt for him the whole time! The butterflies in my stomach started to tingle as a wide smile grew on my face.

„Can...Can I kiss you?“, asked Fred, seeming a bit nervous. And then, reality hit me.  
„I’m sorry, Freddie. I can’t. It’s just not right.“, I said, avoiding his gaze.  
„Why on earth is that not right?“, he asked, giving me an incredulous look.  
„You know why, just think about it.“, I said, stood up and turned around to walk away, as he grabbed me by my wrist.  
„Please, Lzzy. Give me a chance.“, he begged.  
„I’m sorry.“, I said quietly and headed to the girls dormitory, knowing that he was following me.

After I locked the door of the dormitory, I sat on my bed and let the tears, which I had held back, fall. It just took a few seconds until I heard a knock on the door.  
„Lzzy, let me in. We can talk about this. Please. I don’t understand where this ‘it’s not right’-bullshit comes from suddenly.“, said Fred.  
„Go away, Fred. You’re not even allowed to be in here.“, I tried to persuade him to leave.  
„Since when do I care about rules?“, he snorted on the other side of the door.  
„Please, Fred. Don’t make this harder than it already is.“, I said.

For a few moments I heard nothing, then muffled voices on the other side of the door and then a soft knock on the door, accompanied by a female voice:  
„Lzzy, it’s me, Hermione. Please, let me in.“  
„Come in.“, I said after a long pause and a flick with my wand to unlock the door.  
„No, Fred. I will talk to her. Just go.“, I heard Hermione say in a stern tone through the door, answered by Fred mumbling something about difficulties with women.

The door opened, Hermione entered the room and locked the door again behind her.  
„Talk to me, Lzzy. I am your best friend and I am always here for you.“, she said in a soft tone as she sat down beside me on my bed, caressing my back soothingly.  
„I know that you were just pretending as if everything was alright in front of us. You can talk to me. I swear I will not tell anybody.“

She was right. I couldn’t longer pretend. She was just too intelligent to not notice that something was wrong. Or it was, because she was a woman herself. Or both.  
„It’s about Fred.“, I said, still crying.  
„Yeah, that’s what I assumed since I found him outside our door.“, she said jokingly, trying to comfort me. It worked.  
„You like him, do you?“

I nodded and took a deep breath to prepare myself for telling her the whole story:  
„Last year, shortly before the Yule Ball, I noticed that I liked him more than I should. At first I thought it was just a childisch crush, but I figured out that I had fallen in love with him and I hated myself for it. I was and still am scared that this could destroy our friendship. George was the only one who knew, because he found out himself, but he promised not to tell anybody. Then, in summer, I thought the feelings had vanished, but when I saw him again after over two months, it was clear to me that they hadn’t. Today morning, after quidditch training, Angelina told me that he broke up with her because of me. I totally misunderstood and thought he’d found out about my feelings and had broken up with her, because he didn’t want to hurt me. I talked to him and he confessed that he had fallen in love with me, too. At first, I was happy, but in reality it’s not that easy. I am frightened, Hermione. What if we break up, too? What about our friendship? We know each other since we were kids. I couldn’t stand to lose him.“

„You know he couldn’t stand to lose you, too. You’re not just another girl to him, you’re his best female friend who he accidentally fell in love with.“  
„It’s not just that. I don’t want to be ‘the other woman’. I’m afraid of what will come if we decide to be together. I mean, you pretty much know for yourself how teenager can be. I don’t want to be sealed as a ‘slut’ or even worse things.“

„I think you should follow your heart. I mean, you two confessed your love for each other. You shouldn’t care for what other people think. You have your friends and they’ll alwys have your back and stand up for you. Take your time and think about it, but you have to talk to him. Don’t let him in the dark. He probably thinks he did something wrong.“, said Hermione reassuringly.  
„Thank you, Hermione.“, I said, smiling.  
„There’s nothing to thank for. I’m glad you finally told me.“, she said, mirroring my smile.  
„I should’ve told you sooner.“, I said.

After that, we just sat on my bed and talked until the other girls joined us in the dormitory and we called it a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I put a little snippet of Fred's point of view into this. I hope that is okay for you guys, I just wanted to express his feelings towards the OFC in a little dialogue between the twins. I don't think I will make a habit out of this.
> 
> I hope you like the story this far. Kudos, comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. If you have any ideas how I can improve the story or my writing (I am from Germany.), please let me know!


	7. Give Me A Chance

It took me exactly two weeks to find the courage to talk to Fred again. Two weeks that had gone by so slowly it almost felt like two months. I had avoided Fred completely, because I was afraid that he would confront me again. I even talked to George rarely, because he tried to push me to talk to his twin brother everytime I encountered him. That caused that at the end of the second week, I found myself avoiding my favourite pair of twins completely. I figured that it couldn’t possibly go on like that and so I planned on talking to Fred on the following saturday. It turned out I hadn’t had to wait until then.

Friday night was rough. A thunderstorm raged outside and I woke up several times, because of my nightmares. It was in the middle of the night when I decided to give up on sleeping and made my way down to the common room while the other girls were still in deep slumber, despite the storm.

I only had been sitting on the sofa which faced the almost burned down fire for a few minutes, when I felt another presence in the room. I turned around and saw Fred standing at the foot of the stairs, nervously fidgeting with his hands.  
„Couldn’t sleep, huh? Me too.“, I said.  
„Mind if I join you?“, asked Fred, motioning to the sofa.  
„C’mere.“, I said, smiling and patting the space on the sofa beside me.

For a few moments we sat side by side in awkward silence, when suddenly a loud thunder roared outside of the castle. Startled by that, I was not able to hold back a whimper.  
„You can lean on me, if you want.“, said Fred.  
„I know how scared you are of thunderstorms. You always were. After all, you still are my best friend.“, he said after I shot him a confused look.

For a few moments, I said nothing and just stared at him appraisingly. As impatient as he was, he sighed and pulled my body flush against his. Not expecting this, I yelped which caused him to chuckle softly as he wrapped his arms around me and started to run his hands soothingly up and down my back.  
„Better?“, he asked after a few moments. I nodded since my body relaxed noticeably in his embrace.  
„Almost like when we were kids. I still can remember you tiptoeing into George’s and my room and seeking for comfort whenever you stayed overnight and there was just a hint of a thunderstorm outside.“, he said, a loving expression on his face.

„I wish it could still be as easy as it was in those days.“, I sighed.  
„It could be. But there’s this perverted human trait that likes to make easy things difficult.“, he said, smiling bitterly.  
„I’m sorry, Freddie.“, I said quietly, avoiding his gaze.  
„That was the reason it took me so long to tell you about my feelings, you know. I was afraid of being rejected. I confessed only, because you did. I was relieved when I learned that you felt the same, I thought it was safe to tell you, but then you did exactly what I was afraid of. You rejected me.“, he said with a sad expression.  
„I didn’t reject you.“, I tried to protest.  
„C’mon Lzzy, you practically hid from me for the last two weeks. How do you call that, if not rejection?“, he cut me down.

„I avoided you, because I was afraid of you confronting me about what happened.“, I tried to explain.  
„Why would you be afraid?“, he asked, frowning in confusion.  
„There’s pretty much to be afraid of, you know. I’m afraid of losing you as my best friend. What if this whole couple-thing doesn’t work out with us? I couldn’t stand to lose you. And I’m afraid of what other people would say. I don’t want to be sealed as ‘slut’ or as ‘the other woman’. You know how teenager can be.“, I finally told him the truth.

„So this whole thing, this whole problem is because you are afraid of what other people think?“, he asked, shooting me an incredulous look.  
„Since when do you care about other people’s opinions?“, he asked further, because I didn’t answer.  
„It’s not just that. I am much more afraid of losing you, if it doesn’t work out.“, I said contritely.  
„How can we know, if we don’t try?“, asked Fred.

„We can’t, but our friendship is one of the most precious things to me and I’m not sure if I am willing to risk it.“, I said.  
„C’mon Lzzy, give me a chance. Just one kiss. One kiss...and if...if you’re still not sure afterwards, we leave it.“  
„Okay, Freddie. Just one kiss.“, I sighed, giving in. What could possibly go wrong with one kiss? After all, it was just a kiss.

For a brief moment, a mischievous glint flickered in his eyes as a thriumphant smile spread across his face. He cupped my face between his hands and slowly leaned downwards, bringing his face closer to mine inch by inch.  
„One kiss.“, I whispered, emphasizing the ‘one’, as our faces were barely an inch apart. He stopped in his movement and that mischievous smile of his flickered across his face.

„Promised.“, he said, before closing the distance between us and catching my lips in his. His left hand wandered into my hair and to the nape of my neck where he held me firmly in place, while his right hand still cupped my cheek, stroking it with his thumb. The kiss was soft and gentle at first, but got more passionate quickly, as he appreciated my willingness. He licked at my bottom lip, gently asking for entrance which I granted him. Our tongues danced against each other, fighting for dominance.

„So, what do you say?“, asked Fred after we broke the kiss, both panting for air. As an answer, I pulled him back down, wrapping my arms around his neck and crushing my lips on his again. His hands wandered to my waist where he pulled me even closer to him and began to caress my body while I rested one of my hands at the nape of his neck and slid the other into his soft ginger hair. I couldn’t suppress a soft moan which caused Fred to smile into the kiss.

„I take that as a ‘yes’.“, he said softly after shortly parting for air and lifted me up onto his lap where I straddled him, our kisses getting slowly wilder and even more passionate. When I felt somehing hardening against my thigh, I started to think about our surroundings again. We were in the middle of the common room and somebody could walk in any second. I broke the kiss and slipped from his lap, chuckling softly.  
„What is it?“, he asked, smiling happily.

„I think that was a tad too hot for you.“, I teased him, winking suggestively.  
„So, you think I can’t handle you? If you knew.“, he said, smirking mischievously.  
„You lucky bastard, you don’t know what I’d do to you.“, I shot back, mirroring his smirk.  
„If you say so, Little One.“, he said, shrugged and leaned in for another soft kiss.

„Freddie, can you promise something to me?“, I asked as I snuggled myself up against him.  
„Mmmh-mmh?“, he hummed, leaning back and closing his eyes.  
„Let’s not tell the others about us.“  
„Why?“, he asked, peeking at me trough half-opened eyes.  
„I mean, let’s see if it works at first, okay?“, I asked, hoping for him to understand.

„If I am allowed to tell George, I can live with that.“, he said, closing his eyes again.  
„George and Hermione don’t count when I talk about ‘the others’. They’re are the only ones who know about the whole thing, as well. Just don’t tell anybody else, at least for now.“  
„As I said, I can live with that.“, he said, wrapping his arms around me, before I pecked his neck and closed my eyes, too, snuggled up against him.

 

Suddenly I awoke, startled, as I felt somebody sitting down next to me. I heard a soft chuckle as I, still drowsy, tried to make out where I was. I figured out I was in the common room when the events of the night floated back into my mind. I freed myself from Fred’s arms (he was still fast asleep) and turned in the direction where the chuckle came from.

„Mooooorning.“, said George, smiling smugly.  
„So, am I right in the assumption of you two being a thing now?“, he asked, obviously knowing the answer.  
„Kind of...“, I said, still feeling strange to talk about Fred as my boyfriend.  
„Well, I’m glad you two figured out that you belonged together, now that we have sorted that out, can I have my best friend back? I really missed you over the last two weeks.“, he said, winking at me.  
„Oh, of course, Georgie! I’m so sorry!“, I squealed and threw myself at him in the beariest hug I could give.

„Is that how you wake your boyfriend up in the morning, by cuddling with his reckless twin brother?“, said Fred, an amused smile plastered on his face.  
„Well, brother, maybe she figured out that I am better looking than you.“, teased George.  
„And just because I am secretly dating you now, does not mean I will stop bear-hugging my best friend.“, I added.  
„I’m not sure if you’re even capable of bear-hugging, Little One.“, Fred shot back.  
„Oh, I’ll show you what I am capable of when we’re alone.“, I said, giving him a playful smile.  
„I think I’d like to see that.“, said Fred, leaning in for a soft kiss.

„Ugh, save up the snogging for when I’m not around. If I have to see something like that again, I might throw up.“, said George jokingly, earning a light punch on the arm from me.  
„How about this, no snogging in front of you and you keep quiet about us, deal?“, I said, holding out my pinky for him.  
„Deal.“, he said, locking his pinky with mine.

„Anyways, it’s half past six. I’m only here, because I woke up and Fred’s bed was empty. So if we head back to bed now, we may be able to get there unnoticed. I assume you two want to keep secret about whatever this is you have?“, said George.  
„At least for now.“, I said.  
„Don’t worry. I will not tell anybody.“, he said sincerely.

„Apropos not telling anybody, why didn’t you tell me that she liked me, if you knew? That would’ve saved us a lot of problems.“, said Fred, giving his brother a stern look.  
„Because I simply thought that you two should’ve figured that out by yourselves. Did work though, didn’t it?“, said George, stood up and went back to the dormitories ahead of us.

__________________________________________________________________________

 

The following weeks had went by very fast and soon we found ourselves back at Grimmauld Place for the christmas holiday. My brother Arejay brought my father and my stepmother with him and the two of them were stunned by the hidden house. My sister Lorella didn’t make it to the feast, because she was working in Africa with her fiancè.

Even Arthur was recovered enough to attend the festivities. A few weeks before christmas he was being attacked at his workplace in the ministry, but thanks to Harry’s dream he was found before it was too late and immediately sent to St. Mungo’s hospital.

Fred and I had managed to keep our relationship secret, even during the DA-meetings, which had taken place at least two times a week since almost a month. George was still the only one who knew about us. I had wanted to tell Hermione about us, too, but I just hadn’t found the right moment until that point.

„Here we go. Daddy’s back.“, said Molly as she placed Arthur and his wheelchair at the end of the table at which Harry, Sirius, Hermione, the Weasleys and my own family were gathered for the christmas feast. Arthur was wearing a purple papercrown and looked happily around as everyone stood up and cheered for him.  
„Sit down, everybody, sit down. That’s it, now! Presents!“, exclaimed Molly, handing out presents to everyone. Molly was such a sweet and thoughtful woman. She had knitted something for everybody she considered as ‘children’. Ron got a vest with a big red ‘R’ on it, Ginny, Hermione and I got sweaters with our first letters on it, Fred and George got matching scarves, Harry got a different scarf and even my brother got a knitted hat.

„To Mister Harry Potter, without who, I would not be here.“, said Arthur, lifting his drink up as everyone did the same in a toast to Harry.  
„Harry.“, he said and took a sip from his drink.  
„Harry.“, repeated everyone, taking a sip, too.

 

Later that evening, not long after everyone had gone to bed, I paced back and forth, waiting in the dark corridor where the bedrooms of us children were. Suddenly somebody grabbed me by my waist and pushed me against the wall with their body before crushing their soft lips down on mine.  
„You’ve received my note, I see.“, said Fred as we broke apart to breathe. He had slipped me a little peace of parchment (Meet me in the corridor, second floor, when everyone’s asleep. -F.) after dinner.

He didn’t even give me the time to answer as he brought his lips back down on mine in a passionate kiss while placing his hands on the wall on each side of my head and trapping me with his body.  
„Now I’ve got you.“, he said, smirking as he pushed my body up against the wall with his own, placing his hands on my thighs for support.  
„Now you’ve got me.“, I said huskily as I wrapped my legs around his waist and leaned in for another passionate and lingering kiss.

When we broke apart again, both of us panting, he rested his forehead on mine and started playfully fumbling with the hem of my shirt. As I searched for his gaze, I could see his eyes had darkened with lust and hunger.  
„I want you.“, growled Fred as he shamelessly ground his hips into mine, making me feel his more than impressive erection through the layers of fabric.  
„I can feel that.“, I said, chuckling softly and blushing crimson. Thank god it was dark in the corridor.

He growled and pressed his lips against mine once more, letting our tongues fight for dominance while his right hand wandered under my shirt, caressing the flushed skin on my waistline which sent shivers down my spine. His other hand wandered painfully slowly from my thigh along my body and tangled in my hair, holding me firmly in place as he kissed his way from my lips down to my neck where he started nibbling and sucking at my flushed skin.

He chuckled at the soft moans escaping my mouth when he started sucking at my collarbone. Sure thing his actions would leave love bites, but I couldn’t care less at that moment. The heat pooling in my lower body and aching for him, soaking my panties, proved that, indeed, I wanted him, too.

Suddenly I heard the soft sound of someone clearing their throat and opened my eyes, my body stiffening. As my eyes had readjusted to the darkness I searched for the source of the noise in the darkness and could barely hold back a scream as I saw Hermione standing in the corridor only a few feet away from us, with her arms crossed over her chest and a disapproving look on her face.

„Freddie, stop.“, I whispered, lightly tugging at his hair.  
„Why?“, he groaned against my neck.  
„We may have an audience.“, I said, my voice high pitched in slight panic, which caused him to let go of me instantly and pull my body in front of his, probably to hide his erection.

For a few long moments we stood in the corridor in awkward silence, Hermione glaring at us reproachfully and Fred and I trying to avoid her gaze.  
„Since when?“, she asked sternly.  
„Two weeks after we talked about it.“, I muttered, still looking at the floor.  
„Lzzy, that’s almost two months! Why didn’t you tell me?“, she hissed, seeming really upset.  
„I’m sorry, ‘Mione. Please, don’t be mad. I just didn’t find the right moment.“, I tried to soothe her, finally meeting her gaze and giving her my best puppy-eyes (honestly, who could be mad at a puppy?).

„It’s okay. Just don’t do it here, whatever you were doing. Honestly, did you think this was a good place for that? You can be glad that I am the one who caught you and not Molly or your father or even your brother, Lzzy.“, she sighed, still scolding, but not seeming to be too upset anymore.  
„Please don’t tell anyone about us, Hermione. We want to keep it secret until we figured out if it works.“, I pleaded.  
„I won’t. Now come back to bed, Lzzy. And you, Fred, keep your hands by yourself and go back to your own bed before somebody else notices that you’re gone.“, said Hermione, shooting him a stern look.

„I’m sorry.“, I whispered and gave Fred a soft smile.  
„Don’t be. She’s kind of right.“, he said, smiling reassuringly before turning around and heading back to his room.

„Was that really neccessary, ‘Mione? I really don’t know what is more embarrassing, being caught snogging in a dark corridor or being scolded by you like you were our mother.“, I said, glaring at her.  
„You know, I don’t care what you’re doing when you’re alone, but keep it more private. Think about what would’ve happened if one of the adults had caught you. That would’ve affected everyone.“, she said, heading back to our room where Ginny was still fast asleep.


	8. You Matter To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I didn't update for so long. I had this chapter finished on my computer the whole time, but I had so much work the last few months that I couldn't find the time to upload it.
> 
> So this chapter is basically porn without plot. It is not that much important for the plot of the whole story so if you are not interested in sexual content, just skip it. I will summarize it briefly at the beginning of the next chapter.

Soon after Christmas we found ourselves back at Hogwarts. Fred started to grow a little impatient with me since Hermione and George were still the only ones who knew about our relationship which lasted for almost three months now that it was in the middle of January. I asked him to give me the time I needed and promised him to make the relationship official soon.

Since we were back at Hogwarts we had secret dates at least three times a week. Usually we used the Room of Requirements for that, just laying in a muddle of cushions and blankets, cuddling, talking and snogging, of course. Until the middle of January we never went as far as back at Grimmauld Place. I think we were just afraid we could get caught again, because thanks to the DA a lot of students knew about the Room of Requirements.

„Oi, Freddie, up to something today, are we?“, I teased Fred as we entered the Room of Requirements. This time the room looked different than usual. A warm and cozy fire burned in a big fireplace and lit the room in a comfortable way. Thick and soft carpets were spread across the floor and in front of the fireplace lay a few blankets and cushions and a basket full of delicious snacks.  
„I swear I thought the same as always. Maybe the room is up to something?“, said Fred and smacked my ass which made me yelp.

„Dork!“, I cried out and hit him playfully on the arm as a mischievous smirk spread across his face.  
„Everything for you.“, said Fred and bowed theatrically which caused me to burst out in laughter.  
„C’mon, Little One, let’s see what the Room of Requirement has in store for us.“, he said, taking my hand and pulling me gently in front of the fire.  
„You will never let go of that stupid nicknname, won’t you?“, I asked jokingly.

„Never. What’s wrong with it? It fits, doesn’t it? Or aren’t you more than 13 inches smaller than me?“, he said, demonstrating it by looking down at me provocatively.  
„That is only because you, Fred Weasley, are in fact, a giant.“, I said, holding his gaze and not even retreating an inch.  
„Is that so, yeah?“, he asked, his gaze briefly lingering on my lips.  
„Yes.“, I said, my voice barely more than a whisper.

The next moment his lips were on mine, his tongue parting my lips and conquering my mouth in a fiery kiss. His hands wandered at the nape of my neck and tangled in my hair where he started to tug at the strands playfully.  
„Don’t dishevel my hair, I just combed it.“, I scolded him jokingly after we parted, both breathless.

„Are you hungry?“, asked Fred, motioning to the basket after muttering something about women being conceited.  
„Always.“, I said and smiled gently before we sat down on one of the blankets in front of the fire.  
„So, what do you want? We have sandwiches, pumpkin pie, strawberries and melted chocolate.“, said Fred, searching through the basket.  
„I would go for strawberries and melted chocolate.“, I said, winking playfully seductive.  
„Naughty girl.“, muttered Fred, inhaling sharply and taking the requested snacks out of the basket.

„You know, Harry could always find out about us, if he hasn’t already. After all, he’s got the Marauder’s Map.“, I said as I took a strawberry and dipped it in the melted chocolate.  
„Nope. The Room of Requirement’s not on the map.“, said Fred and dipped a strawberry in the chocolate, too.  
„That’s why I chose it for our dates. Anything for my lady.“, he added, winking at me with a loving smile.

„How thoughtful of you.“, I said sarcastically, but mirroring his smile.  
„Almost three months by my side and you still doubt my intelligence. I am offended.“, said Fred, his smile widening into his famous mischievous smirk.  
„Jerk.“, I muttered, smirking and he gasped theatrically.

„Freddie, you have to promise something to me.“, I said while we continued eating the strawberries.  
„What is it, darling?“, said Fred, making me smile at the nickname.  
„I know that you are tired of keeping all of this secret.“, I said, motioning between the two of us.  
„But I still need my time. This is still so new for me, this whole thing. I need you to promise to give me the time I need.“, I continued, avoiding his gaze while getting more and more afraid of his reaction.

„Lzzy, look at me.“, he said calmy, his face completely blank. I looked up at him carefully, suddenly feeling kind of shy.  
„I promise. You can have all the time you need, because I know that you’re worth it, because I am truly and deeply in love with you.“, said Fred, smiling softly and brushing his lips against mine in a gentle kiss.  
„Thank you.“, I whispered against his lips and kissed him back, letting the kiss get deeper.

„I meant what I said earlier. Anything for you.“, said Fred, cupping my cheeks in his hands and kissing me deeply, with far more passion. His hands wandered to my waist and under my shirt where he caressed my skin, while he pulled me closer to him and started exploring my mouth with his tongue. He moaned softly as I climbed on his lap and straddled him, pressing my body even closer to his. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested one hand on the nape of his neck while I slipped the other hand in his hair, tugging playfully at the red strands.

Our tongues tangled together in a fight for dominance as he eventually pulled my shirt over my head, leaving me only in jeans and underwear. He started sucking and biting softly at the flushed skin on my neck, slowly kissing his way down to my breasts. A soft moan escaped me and I ground my hips into the growing buldge in his pants which caused him to innhale sharply through his teeth.

„Make love to me, Freddie.“, I whispered barely audible.  
„I thought you’d never ask.“, he smirked before crushing his lips on mine again and lifting me up effortlessly so that he could lie me down on my back and place himself on top of me, supporting his weight on his arms. I tugged at his shirt and he helped me pulling it off. I roamed my hands along his muscular torso while kissing and sucking at his bare skin.

He reached around my back with one hand and unhooked my bra in a skillfull movement before tossing it away and admiring my breasts while cupping them with his hands. He kissed his way down from my collarbone to in between my breasts before he started to suck and pinch at my nipples into hard little knobs. My back arched and I gripped a fistful of his hair as my body admired his actions with moans and gasps escaping my mouth.

He reached down with his hands and unzipped my jeans before pulling them down my hips and janking them off completely, leaving me only in my panties. I let my hands glide down his torso and made quick work of his belt and zipper, before massaging the prominent buldge through the fabric of his boxers. A growl escaped his lungs and made his bare chest vibrate against my skin as he looked deeply into my eyes, his gaze darkened with lust and eagerness.

I tugged at his jeans and pulled them down to his knees, letting him do the rest as I gripped his shoulders tightly, feeling the need of holding onto something as he pushed my panties to the side and plunged two slender fingers inside me. I cried out in ecstasy, earning a soft chuckle from him as he started finger-fucking me while rubbing his thumb over my clit.  
„Already so wet for me, Darling.“, said Fred in a husky voice, but with that mischievous smirk plastered on his face. I nodded, not able to create coherent words in my mind. I had never been so turned on in my life before.

He kissed his way down, starting between my breasts, until he placed a soft kiss on my womanhood, abandoning it again and concentrating on my inner thighs, leaving a trail of soft kisses on them until he reached my womanhood again. He briefly looked up and winked, knowing that I was watching him, before he dug his head between my legs and pushed his tonngue between my wet folds. I couldn’t hold back a loud moan as he flicked his tongue over my clit.

Heat pooled in my lower body as I felt myself growing closer to climax.  
„N-not like t-that.“, I managed to stutter as I pulled him back up by tugging at his hair gently.  
„I want you inside me. Now.“, I said, looking him deep in the eye. He growled and crushed his lips on mine, letting me taste myself on his tongue, and finally janked my panties off and threw them across the room.

„Are...are you a virgin?“, he asked softly as he freed himself from his boxers, his cock jumping free. My breath hitched for a brief moment as I looked at him. He was...big, but fitting to Fred’s body.  
„Nope.“, I answered honestly.  
He placed himself between my thighs and I felt myself getting nervous.

„Are you okay?“, asked Fred when he noticed.  
„Yeah, it’s just...I don’t know...it’s not my first time havíng sex, but it’s the first time it matters to me, because you matter to me.“, I said, feeling myself blush. He chuckled softly and placed a kiss on my forehead.  
„Ready?“, he asked.  
„Ready.“, I said and nodded.

And with one deep thrust, he buried himself inside me. I cried out in lust and pain as he filled me to the hilt. He stopped in his motions for a few moments and gave me time to adjust to his size. I gave him the signal to go on by nodding and wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him down and placing a lingering kiss on his lips. He pulled out and plunged back in, angling his hips so he could bury himself even deeper into me.

I cried out again as he hit my sweet spot, his pace painfully slow.  
„Stop teasing.“, I hissed through gritted teeth as I wrapped my legs around his waste and clenched the muscles of my inner walls around him.  
My actions spurted him further on and he started pounding into me much faster, hitting the spot again and again. It didn’t take long and I felt my orgasm built up in my lower body again, but this time I let go, welcoming the warm waves of pleasure as my back arched up from the floor and I cried out his name and my body shook violently, the muscles of my inner walls clenching around him and throwing him over the edge, milking every last drop of him as he spilled his seed inside me with a loud growl.

As he came down from his height, he collapsed on top of me, barely able to support his own weight in order to not crush me. I pushed a damp strand of hair out of his face and placed a soft kiss on his forehead while we both lay there, breathing heavily with our hearts beating frantically. He rolled off of me and lay on his back, pulling my body against his so that my head rested on his chest.

„I love you.“, said Fred, wrapping his arms around my naked form and running his hands up and down my back.  
„Cool. Thanks.“, I teased which earned me a soft chuckle and a poke in the ribs.  
„I love you.“, I said before I placed a gentle kiss on his chest and closed my eyes, completely exhausted, but happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I have basically no freetime at all at the moment, so the next chapter will take me some time to write. I have about half of it finished, but I don't know when I will have time to complete it. But I promise, I will finish the story, I am just not able to update every week at the moment.


End file.
